KR101443616B1 - laundry treating apparatus and steam generator provided therein - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus capable of recovering water in a steam generating apparatus for generating steam and a steam generating apparatus provided in the clothes processing apparatus.

A clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a drum for receiving laundry; 1. A steam generator comprising: a housing having a water supply port; a water generating tube having one end communicated with the water supply port and the other end located at a lower level than the water supply port; Pumping means for supplying or withdrawing water through the water supply port; .

Steam generator, heater, water level sensor, water inlet, water pipe

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus and a steam generating apparatus provided in the clothes processing apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus and a steam generating apparatus provided in the clothes processing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus capable of recovering water in a steam generating apparatus generating steam, ≪ / RTI >

A clothes processing apparatus is a device that processes clothing through a stroke such as washing, drying, or refreshing clothes. Examples of such clothes processing apparatuses include washing machines, dryers, and refreshers.

Particularly, the washing machine uses water to wash the clothes. In the principle of water washing, wrinkles are generated in the washed laundry, and the wrinkled laundry is not wrinkled even if drying in the dryer is completed .

Therefore, recently, a clothes processing apparatus provided with a steam generating device capable of performing a refresh function such as removal of wrinkles, smell removal, and static electricity removal of clothes has been spreading.

However, in such a garment treating apparatus, if the garment treating apparatus is not operated for a predetermined period of time after the steam generating apparatus generates steam and water remains in the steam generating apparatus, water remaining in the steam generating apparatus is corrupted There was a problem that could be used.

In addition, a normal water level sensor is installed inside the steam generator. If water is left in the steam generator, a scale is generated in the water level sensor, thereby causing malfunction of the water level sensor.

Further, when the steam generator is suddenly operated in a state where water is not supplied into the steam generator, there is a problem that the heater is overheated and damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a garment processing apparatus capable of recovering water in a steam generator after completion of operation of the steam generator.

The present invention also provides a clothes processing apparatus capable of preventing a malfunction of a water level sensor provided inside a steam generator and preventing breakage of a heater.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clothes processing apparatus comprising: a drum for receiving laundry; 1. A steam generator comprising: a housing having a water supply port; a water generating tube having one end communicated with the water supply port and the other end located at a lower level than the water supply port; Pumping means for supplying or withdrawing water through the water supply port; .

Preferably, the steam generator further comprises a water level sensor for sensing a water level inside the housing, and a lower end of the water tube is lower than a lower end of the water level sensor.

The steam generator may further include a heater, and the lower end of the water tube may be higher than the upper end of the heater.

The water pipe may be integrally formed with the housing, or may extend from the water inlet and be bent downward.

Preferably, the pumping means is a pump connected to the water supply port and rotating in the normal and reverse directions to supply water to the housing and recover water from the housing.

The steam generator further includes a water container in which a predetermined amount of water supplied to the steam generator is stored.

The housing includes an upper housing in which the water supply port is formed, and a lower housing in which the heater is installed. Preferably, the lower housing includes a main portion to which the heater is installed, and an extension portion that is wider than the main portion and is coupled to the upper housing. And the lower end of the water tube is located on the left or right side of the heater.

The clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention has the following advantages.

First, it is possible to effectively prevent or remove wrinkles or wrinkles from drying the dried object without ironing.

Second, since water can be recovered to a position lower than the lower end of the water level sensor, occurrence of a malfunction of the water level sensor can be prevented by generating a scale on the water level sensor.

Third, since the water can be recovered to a position higher than the heater, the heater can be protected even during a sudden operation of the steam generator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a clothes processing apparatus and a steam generator installed in a clothes processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The clothes processing apparatuses include a washing machine, a dryer, a refresher, and the like. Hereinafter, a dryer will be described as an example for convenience of explanation. However, the present invention is not limited to a dryer, and may be applied to other clothes processing apparatus such as a washing machine or a refresher.

1 and 2, a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 constituting an outer appearance, a drum 20 rotatably installed in the cabinet 10, (70) and a belt (68) for driving the motor (20).

A heater 90 (hereinafter referred to as a "hot air heater") for heating the air to generate hot air (hereinafter referred to as "hot air") at a predetermined position of the cabinet 10, A hot air supply duct 44 for supplying hot air to the drum 20 is provided.

An exhaust duct 80 for discharging the highly humid air heat-exchanged with the object to be dried in the drum 20, and a blower unit 60 for sucking the humid air are also provided.

In the present embodiment, an indirectly driven dryer in which the drum 20 is rotated using the motor 70 and the belt 68 is illustrated and explained, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, a direct-drive type dryer in which the motor is directly connected to the rear surface of the drum 20 to directly rotate the drum 20 is also possible.

Next, each of the above-described components will be described in more detail.

The cabinet 10 constitutes the exterior of the dryer and includes a base 12 defining a bottom surface, a pair of side covers 14 vertically installed from the base 12, A front cover 16 and a rear cover 18 which are respectively installed on the front and rear surfaces of the base 12 on which the cover 12 is not provided and a top cover 17 provided on the tops of the covers 16 and 18 .

The control panel 19 having an operation switch or the like is normally located on the top cover 17 or the front cover 16 but the control panel 19 is located on the front cover 16 in this embodiment.

The rear cover 18 is formed with a suction portion 182 formed to allow external air to flow therein and an exhaust hole 184 that is a passage through which the air of the drum 20 is discharged to the outside. In addition, it is preferable that a lifter 22 is provided inside the drum 20 to increase the drying efficiency of the laundry to be dried.

A front supporter 30 and a rear supporter 40 are provided between the drum 20 and the cabinet 10 (the front cover 16 and the rear cover 18).

The front supporter 30 and the rear supporter 40 support the drum 20 so that the drum 20 is rotatable and a leakage between the front supporter 30 and the rear supporter 40 and the drum 20 A sealing member (not shown) is provided.

That is, the front supporter 30 and the rear supporter 40 serve to support the front and rear ends of the drum 20 while forming a drying chamber by blocking the front and rear surfaces of the drum 20.

The front cover 16 is provided with an opening 162 for communicating the drum 20 with the outside of the dryer and the opening 162 is selectively opened and closed by the door 164. A lint duct 50 is connected to the front supporter 30 and a lint filter 52 is installed in the lint duct 50. The lint duct 50 is a passage through which the air of the drum 20 is discharged to the outside.

At this time, one side of the blower unit 60 is connected to the lint duct 50, the other side of the blower unit 60 is connected to the exhaust duct 80, and the exhaust duct 80 is connected to the rear cover 18 And communicates with the exhaust hole 184 provided therein.

Therefore, when the blower unit 60 operates, the air inside the drum 20 is discharged to the outside through the lint duct 50, the exhaust duct 80, and the exhaust hole 184. At this time, foreign matter such as lint is filtered by the lint filter 52.

The blower unit 60 is generally composed of a blower 62 and a blower housing 64. The blower 62 is connected to a motor 70 for driving the drum 20 and is generally driven.

The rear supporter 40 is generally provided with an opening 42 formed by a plurality of through holes and the hot air supply duct 44 is connected to the opening 42. The hot air supply duct 44 communicates with the drum 20 and serves as a passage for supplying hot air to the drum 20. [ Therefore, a hot air heater (not shown) is installed at a predetermined position of the hot air supply duct 44.

Meanwhile, a steam generating device 200 for generating steam to supply the steam into the drum 20 is installed at a predetermined position of the cabinet 10.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the water container 300, in which water is not received, is detachably installed to supply water to the steam generator 200.

The reason why water is supplied to the steam generator 200 by using the water container 300 is that when the water direct connection type, which is a method generally used in a washing machine, is used in a dryer having no washing process using water, The water supply hose, and the control unit must be installed, so that the installation cost and the like may increase.

A water container 300 for supplying water to the front of the cabinet 10 for supplying water to the steam generator 200 and a water container 300 for supplying water from the water container 300 to the steam generator 200, A water supply channel 210 for supplying water is provided.

The water container 300 is provided with a space for receiving predetermined water, and an outlet (not shown) through which water flows out into the water supply channel 210 is formed at one side. At this time, the outlet is detachably connected to the water supply channel 210.

Preferably, the water container 300 is mounted on the drawer 320 so that the water container 300 can be drawn in and drawn out from the front surface of the front cover 16 of the dryer.

At this time, a guide part 330 for guiding the drawer 320 toward the water supply channel 210 is installed inside the dryer.

The water supply passage 210 is provided between the water container 300 and the steam generator 200 as a flow passage for supplying water discharged from the water container 300 to the steam generator 200. At this time, it is preferable that a pump 340 is installed on the water supply channel 210 to smoothly supply the water in the water container 300 to the steam generator 200.

Of course, it is also possible to supply water to the height difference between the water container 300 and the steam generator 200 in the process of supplying water from the water container 300 to the steam generator 200, It is a fact that the space is narrow due to its compact design. Accordingly, if the size of the parts is not changed, water supply using the height difference of water can not be practically performed. Therefore, a small pump 340 is installed on the water supply channel 210 so that water can be smoothly supplied to the steam generator 200 .

In addition, when the pump 340 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions, water can be smoothly supplied from the water container 300 to the steam generator 200, and water can be supplied from the steam generator 200 to the water tank 300 There is an advantage that it can be easily recovered.

The reason why water is recovered from the steam generator 200 when the steam generator 200 is not used is that the water remaining in the steam generator 200 may be corrupted and supplied back into the dryer.

The water supply channel 210 includes a connection port 211 provided in the guide unit 330 and a water supply pipe 213 connected between the pump 340 and the steam generator 200 to correspond to the outlet of the water container 300. [ And a connection pipe 212 connected between the pump 400 and the connection port 211.

Next, a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

The steam generator 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a T-shape as a whole.

More specifically, the steam generator 200 includes a lower housing 400 having a water chamber 410 in which a heater 420 for receiving water is installed, 410 and an upper housing 500 having a steam chamber 510 in which steam generated by heating the water is received. Of course, the housing of the steam generator 200 may be formed integrally without being separated from the lower housing 400 and the upper housing 500.

The lower housing 400 includes a main body 401 and a main body 401. The main body 401 includes a heater 420 mounted thereon and a vertical length longer than a horizontal length (Hereinafter, referred to as "expansion portion 402") having a width larger than that of the portion 401 and coupled to the upper housing 500. Since the heater 420 is installed in the main portion 401 of the water chamber 410 so that a small amount of water is received in the main portion 401 and a large amount of water is supplied to the expanding portion 402 and the upper housing 500 Lt; / RTI > Meanwhile, it is preferable that the extension part 402 is formed to be inclined downward toward the center part. By forming the connection portion 402 in an inclined manner, foreign matter such as lime can be prevented from being deposited on the connection portion 402 of the water level sensor 520 installed inside the steam generating device 200.

The lower housing 400 is provided with a drain 430 for discharging the water of the water chamber 410 to the outside and an opening and closing member 431 for opening and closing the drain 430 is formed in the drain 430. . When the opening and closing member 431 is opened, the water in the water chamber 410 can be discharged to the outside. Generally, when the steam generator 200 is continuously used, foreign matter such as lime is accumulated in the steam generator 200. When the water in the water chamber 410 is discharged to the outside by opening the drain portion 430, foreign substances are discharged as water, so that accumulation of foreign matter in the steam generating device 200 can be prevented.

The opening and closing member 431 may be a drain cap which can be manually opened or closed by a user or a service engineer, but it is possible to use the one that has been automatically opened and closed. For example, as the opening and closing member 431, a solenoid valve may be used. Further, the opening and closing member can be made using a siphon principle.

Since the steam generator 200 has a T shape as in the present embodiment, the horizontal length of the steam generator 200 can be reduced while accommodating the same amount of water. Therefore, the drum 20 and the steam generator 200 Can be reduced. In addition, when the steam generating device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention is used to generate the same amount of steam as the conventional steam generating device, the amount of water and the steam generating time can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the upper housing 500 having the steam chamber 510 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

A water inlet 501 and a steam outlet 502 are formed at one side of the upper housing 500. At this time, it is preferable that a portion of the upper housing 500 is protruded upward, and a water inlet 501 and an outlet 502 are formed in the protruding portion. A water supply pipe (213) is connected to the water supply port (501) to supply water, and a steam hose (215) is connected to the steam discharge port (502) When the steam supply device is installed inside the dryer, the water supply port (213) is connected to the upper housing (500) and the steam discharge hole (502) And the steam hose 215 can be prevented from interfering with other members installed inside the dryer.

In the upper housing 500, a water level sensor 520 and a temperature sensor 530 are provided.

The water level sensor 520 is installed at a predetermined distance from the water supply port 501. For example, it is preferable that the water level sensor 520 is disposed at a position deviated from a direction in which water is supplied from the water supply port 501. This is to prevent the water level sensor 520 from malfunctioning by preventing the water discharged from the water supply port 501 from coming into contact with the water level sensor 520.

The water level sensor 520 may be installed adjacent to the inner wall of the upper housing 500 and above the extended portion 402 rather than the upper portion of the main portion 401 of the lower housing 400. In another aspect, the water level sensor 520 is preferably installed at a predetermined distance from the inner wall of the main portion 401 forming the water chamber 410.

By doing so, it is possible to effectively prevent the water level sensor 520 from spilling out due to water or bubbles scattered at the initial stage of the heating of the heater 420 mounted on the main portion 401, thereby preventing the water level sensor 520 from malfunctioning.

In addition, the steam generator 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably includes a receiving portion 526 for protecting the water level sensor 520. Basically, the accommodating portion 526 may surround the electrode portions 521, 522, 523 of the water level sensor and have a structure in which the lower portion is opened.

The water level sensor 520 is composed of a common electrode 521, a low-level electrode 522 and a high-level electrode 523 and is electrically connected to the common electrode 521 and the high-level electrode 523 or between the common electrode 521 and the low- ) To detect the high water level and the low water level.

The upper housing 500 is provided with a discharge port 502 for discharging steam. A separator 540 is provided adjacent to the discharge port 502 for separating the region where the steam is actually discharged to the outside.

When water is heated in the water chamber 410, water and air bubbles are severely scattered in the initial stage of heating, and the separator 540 prevents the water to be scattered from flowing into the drum 20 through the steam outlet 502 . If water is introduced into the drum 20, the laundry may be stained, which can be prevented by the separator 540.

The separator 540 may have a structure in which steam is introduced while the steam outlet 502 is received therein. It is preferable that the separator 540 is a partition wall, and the partition wall is formed with an opening 545 through which steam flows.

As described above, water is supplied to the water chamber 410 through the water supply pipe 213, and the steam of the steam chamber 510 is supplied to the drum (not shown) through a steam discharge line such as the steam outlet 502 and the steam hose 215 20.

When the steam generator 200 is not used for a long time, the water in the steam generator 200 is recovered to the water tank 300 in order to prevent the decayed water from being used in the steam generator 200 . When the water in the steam generator 200 is recovered to the water tank 300, the pump 340 installed on the water supply channel 210 rotates in a direction opposite to that when water is supplied to the steam generator 200.

When the water in the steam generator 200 is recovered to the water chamber 300 through the water supply port 501, the water is supplied to the water supply port 501 And the other end is provided with a water pipe 550 which is lower than the water supply port 501.

5 and 6 illustrate a water tube 550 extending from the top of the upper housing 500. At this time, the water pipe 550 is preferably integrally formed with the upper housing 500 by a method such as injection molding.

The lower end of the water pipe 550 is preferably lower than the lower end of the low-level electrode 522 among the plurality of electrodes constituting the water level sensor 520. This is to prevent scales from being generated in the low-level electrode 522 by preventing water left inside the steam generator 522 from coming into contact with the low-level electrode 522 after the water is recovered from the steam generator 522.

If scale is generated in the low-level electrode 522, it is possible to cause a malfunction when sensing the low-level by energizing the common electrode 521 and the low-level electrode 522. [

Also, it is preferable that the lower end of the water pipe 550 is higher than the upper end of the heater 420 as shown in FIG. This is to leave enough water in the steam generator 200 after the water is recovered from the steam generator 200 that the heater 420 is locked. The reason why the predetermined amount of water is left in the steam generator 200 is that the water is not recovered from the steam generator 200 but the water is recovered or the water is supplied to the steam generator 200 This is to prevent the heater 420 from being overheated when the steam generator 200 suddenly operates before. If the heater 420 is overheated, there is a danger of fire, or the heater 420 or the parts installed inside the steam generator 200 may be damaged by the overheated heater 420.

The lower end of the water pipe 550 may be located on the left or right side of the heater 420. This is to prevent the water or steam boiling up by the heater 420 from flowing out through the water supply port 501.

7, the water pipe 550 may extend from the water supply port 501 and be bent downward. At this time, the water pipe 550 is not formed integrally with the upper housing 500 but is separately manufactured and connected to the water supply port 501. Also, it is preferable that the water pipe 550 is made of a copper material free from rust.

The steam generator 200 is connected to the water supply port 501 of the steam generator 200 at one end and has a water pipe 550 at the other end lower than the water supply port 501, It is possible to prevent the steam generated by the decayed water from being supplied to the drum 20. [0050]

In addition, since the lower end of the water pipe 550 is positioned lower than the lower end of the water level sensor 520, it is possible to prevent scale from occurring in the water level sensor 520.

In addition, since the lower end of the water pipe 550 is located higher than the upper end of the heater 420, the heater 420 can be prevented from being damaged.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a cross-sectional view of the dryer shown in Fig.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a steam generator for supplying steam to the dryer shown in FIG. 1 and a water container for supplying water to the steam generator.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the steam generator shown in Fig. 3; Fig.

5 is a sectional view of the steam generator shown in Fig.

6 is a perspective view of the upper housing of the steam generator viewed from the upside.

7 is a sectional view of a steam generator in which a water tube is installed according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Description of the main parts of the drawings

10: cabinet 200: steam generator

400: lower housing 420: heater

500: upper housing 520: water level sensor

550: Water pipe

Claims (15)

A drum for receiving the laundry; 1. A steam generator comprising: a housing having a water supply port; a heater provided in the housing; and a water tube provided inside the housing, the water tube having one end communicating with the water supply port and the other end lower than the water supply port; And pumping means for supplying or withdrawing water through the water supply port, And the lower end of the water pipe is higher than the upper end of the heater. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the steam generator further comprises a water level sensor for sensing a water level inside the housing, and a lower end of the water tube is lower than a lower end of the water level sensor. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the water tube is formed integrally with the housing. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the water pipe extends from the water supply port and is bent downward. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the pumping means is a pump connected to the water supply port and rotating in the normal and reverse directions to supply water to the housing and to recover water from the housing. The method according to claim 6, Further comprising a water container in which a predetermined amount of water supplied to the steam generator is stored. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the housing comprises an upper housing in which the water supply port is formed, and a lower housing in which the heater is installed. 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein the lower housing includes a main portion to which the heater is installed, and an extension portion that is wider than the main portion and is coupled to the upper housing. 10. The method of claim 9, And the lower end of the water pipe is located on the left or right side of the heater. A heater provided in the housing; and a water pipe provided in the housing and having one end communicated with the water supply port and the other end positioned lower than the water supply port, And the lower end of the water tube is higher than the upper end of the heater. 12. The method of claim 11, Wherein the steam generator further comprises a water level sensor for sensing a water level inside the housing, and a lower end of the water tube is lower than a lower end of the water level sensor. delete 12. The method of claim 11, Wherein the water tube is formed integrally with the housing. 12. The method of claim 11, Wherein the water tube extends from the water supply port and is bent downward.

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